Comix Hot Air

Three boys and a pet rat are suddenly airborne in a balloon, and not one of them knows how to control it, but the adventure is only just beginning. This text should help bridge the gap between picture and longer books, and is suitable for reluctant readers. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal Grade 4-8--The first book is a high-action title with a simple plot. Steve's first hot-air balloon trip with his cousins turns into a dangerous outing. When the get kids into the basket, Uncle Harry has a heart attack and drops the mooring rope, the balloon gets free, and Steve must figure out what to do as the balloon goes out over the sea. The art is uninspiring, but easy to interpret and follow, so it serves the purpose. In the second book, Andy is plagued by nightmares of being attacked by ravens just before going to kayaking camp. When he arrives at Greystone Grange, he finds that it is near the ruins of an old mansion, with many ravens flying about. He makes a few friends, but finds an enemy in a trainee instructor who tells him menacing stories about the house and the birds. He begins to wonder if Jack is simply a sleepwalking bully, or if he is somehow supernaturally tied to the house and the birds. The content and creepiness are suitable for middle school readers, but the character development and plotting leave much to be desired. The artwork is course and dark, suiting the tone of the story, but not highly appealing. Both books have a few sentences of text. These titles will work as additional purchases for school libraries working with reluctant readers, but they're not for standard graphic-novel collections. Public libraries can pass on them.--Dawn Rutherford, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA Copyright å¨ Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. About the Author Anthony Masters is an award-winning author of fiction for both children and adults. He won the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize for his first novel, The Seahorse. He also runs writing workshops for children up and down the country. He has written several titles in the A&C Black Graffix and Comix series, including the bestselling Biker.